This invention relates to personal hand-carried utility-bag apparatus, and more specifically to such apparatus adapted to bicycle use, to include dual laterally disposed pannier compartments.
While there have been various bicycle type convenience-carrier apparatus produced, this invention has found them to be lacking in certain important convenience features which are of value in making cycling for the daily commuter or distance traveler more practical, abet more enjoyable. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,707 (8/1982) set forth a so called `pannier` (originally bread-basket) type carrier having a large internal compartment which wraps over a special mounting-frame support made to be attached presumably to an existing carrier-rack, while thus extending well down at both lateral sides of the bike's rear-wheel; the affair being entirely detatchable as an assembly via a rigid carrying-handle. However, this inventor intends to show there is actually no need for a rigid folding sub-frame, yet there is need for an improved compartmentalized arrangement for one's apparel. Another example of prior-art is demonstrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,835 (6/1983), wherein is set forth an arrangement of dual independent laterally disposed carrier pannier compartments which hang from an existing carrier-rack, and including means by which a locking-cable may be strung through the seperate integral-handle portions thereto, while enabling the individual panniers to be detatched and intimately mated side-to-side so as to merge the two handle portions as one handle when carried on foot. Again, while clever in execution, the arrangement does not include suitable provisions for one's wearing apparel. Yet another example of prior-art is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,988 (5/1984), wherein is provided a bifurcated pannier arrangement suitable for front or rear mounting, employing a rigid frame structure of inverted-V shape, to which a pair of rigid pannier compartments are hingedly joined at their apex, and which may be demounted intact and pivoted together at their bottom bifurcations. But here again, revealing no forethought to proper carrying of one's wearing apparel, such as a suit/jacket & pants. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,084 (9/1986) which demonstrates a back-pack readily adaptable to bicycle mounting as panniers upon a conventional carrier-rack. However again, no particular attention is given to the problem of providing suitable carrying means for one's more formal clothing attire, which would look terribly rumpled and wrinkled if unfolded from any one of the affore exemplified, if presently best available art.
Furthermore, although none of the preceeding examples even gave mention as to need for a convenient coathanger, this inventor has searched to no avail in finding a coathanger particularly adapted to offering a spineward folding arrangement which could support the coat-jacket equally as well while folded or unfolded. It seems that all traveler type coat-hangers merely collapse, particularly downwardly at the shoulder, for purposes of compact stow only, not to facilitate more compact hanging of the jacket while traveling.
Therefore, for the above exemplified reasons, this inventor has developed a new type of pannier configuration in which one may conveniently lay in their more formal non-cycling clothing without having to carry a steam-iron along to eliminate carrier-pack induced wrinkles. Presently this development is the subject of mfg. & mkt. preparation under the proprietary tradename of "CommuterPak" in El Cajon, Calif.